Nico rues missed chance

A STAFF REPORTER

Calcutta: Sahara Force India led 30 laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix as Nico Hulkenberg competed for the victory at Interlagos, on Sunday. However, he eventually finishing fifth and Jenson Button won the race.

The German driver, who goes to Sauber next season, says while it was a shame to miss out on the chance of a podium finish, he enjoyed the race thoroughly.

“That was a lot of fun — very entertaining and there was so much happening all the time! We had a great chance to finish on the podium today, but it slipped away, which is a shame,” he said.

Hulkenberg added he was happy with the outcome of the race. “Fifth place is still a super result to end the season and I think the team did an excellent job this weekend. I hope they enjoyed the race — but am happy with the result,” he said.

Detailing the conditions at Interlagos, Hulkenberg said, “In the early laps it was difficult to keep the car on the track in the very damp conditions, but it was not really wet enough for intermediates and I stuck with the slicks. It was the right decision and soon I was leading the race. I felt comfortable but eventually I made a small mistake and Lewis got ahead of me. I managed to stay with him and was fighting to get the lead back when we touched.

“It’s hard to say what happened but I was making a move going into turn one and had a slightly loose rear. I was about to turn in and suddenly there was contact. It’s a shame for both of us because we were having a great battle.”